Abstract
BackgroundAn essential component of patient-centered, individualized medicine is considering how sex and gender affect mechanisms of health and disease.ObjectivesTo assess medical students’ current knowledge of sex and gender specific health (SGSH) concepts compared to results from the same survey in 2012 to better inform development of curricular materials for medical education.MethodsA previously designed survey tool, which assessed current knowledge of sex and gender-based medicine of medical students, was emailed to all Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM) students on Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida campuses in 2020. Descriptive and qualitative thematic results were compared to the same survey administered in 2012 to students enrolled in MCASOM. Changes in the inclusion of SGSH topics were assessed over the eight years.ResultsOne hundred and one of 365 (27.7% response rate) surveys were returned with 2:1 female to male respondents with representation from all 4 years. The definitions of the terms “sex” and “gender” were correctly identified by most respondents (93.1%). However, only 36% (12/33) of questions related to other medical knowledge on SGSH topics had more than a 50% correct response rate. More than half of the students reported that SGSH topics were included in Gynecology, Cardiology, Pediatrics, and Immunology. SGSH topics were reported as not being routinely covered in Neurology and Nephrology, although more students said they were in 2020 then 2012. Sixty-two percent of students favored increasing SGSH in the current curriculum.ConclusionsMedical students appear to understand the definition of and importance of SGSH in education. While some improvements in coverage by subject matter and topic area appear to have occurred as reported by medical students, opportunity remains to more fully integrate SGSH concepts in medical school curricula.
Highlights
Patient-centered, individualized medicine focuses on the intersection of biological factors, with cultural and societal factors defining gender (i.e. income, education, Rydberg et al Biol Sex Differ (2021) 12:53 and mortality [3]
While some improvements in coverage by subject matter and topic area appear to have occurred as reported by medical students, opportunity remains to more fully integrate sex and gender specific health (SGSH) concepts in medical school curricula
The sex ratio of respondents was approximately 2:1 female to male compared to the 48.3% female to 51.7% male distribution at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM)
Summary
Patient-centered, individualized medicine focuses on the intersection of biological factors (i.e. age, sex chromosomes, race, genetic variants, sex-specific hormones, and reproductive history), with cultural and societal factors defining gender (i.e. income, education, Rydberg et al Biol Sex Differ (2021) 12:53 and mortality [3]. In 2020, attention was given to sex disparities in risk, morbidity, and morality associated with the COVID-19 virus with males having greater incidence and mortality than females [7]. This difference reflects both biological differences in immunocompetency between males and females and cultural aspects associated with behaviors and co-morbidities. An essential component of patient-centered, individualized medicine is considering how sex and gender affect mechanisms of health and disease
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